Big Nate Blasts Off!
2016
- children's fiction
- humorous stories
- conduct of life
- juvenile fiction
- friendship
- middle schools
- schools
- behavior
- fiction
- children's, young adult and educational
The story
After his fight with Randy Betancourt makes headlines in the school paper, Big Nate has a problem worse than detention on his hands.
What it’s like
Loose, doodle-studded pages with cartoon panels breaking up the text, so the reading feels quick and jumpy, like flipping through a notebook someone has been drawing in during class. The voice is a wisecracking sixth grader's: first-person, self-satisfied, full of running gags and sidelong asides that land in short bursts. The mood is bright and scrappy, with school hallways, cafeteria chaos and the small embarrassments of middle school rendered in cheerful exaggeration rather than any real sting. It suits a lazy afternoon, a long wait somewhere with a bag of snacks, or a sick day when a reader wants something that won't demand much focus. Pacing is brisk, chapters are short and scenes cut quickly, and the emotional register stays light and warm, with the kid's bluster gradually giving way to a grudging sense of loyalty to his friends. Nothing here is violent or frightening; the worst that happens is a fight that stays mostly comic and a lot of trouble with teachers. Written for younger middle-grade readers and reluctant readers, and for adults who enjoy a quick, funny, low-stakes book with a bit of cartoon energy.
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